#Magic could make a mystery too easy to solve

[cleelczipsybane]

WLC 6.2: Amber

Deputy Tanglepork steps inside, but hesitates. "Is that safe?" she asks of the glowing crystals lighting the room.

"Yeah," says Ling, "Ya want to stay outside?" Ling gestures and a bubble forms around the pair, both in and out of her house.

"What is this?" The deputy looks about in awe of the shimmering shield and the distorted view of the world outside.

"Privacy bubble: people can't see or hear through it."

"That sounds threatening," says Tanglepork, "And probably illegal."

"Not yet it isn't," says Ling, sticking her hand out and in the bubble, "But I get it. Fortunately, my own invention; haven't taught a soul." She returns her focus to the deputy. "Now, why ya here?"

J: She really called that one. L: Strewth, I'm impressed ya figured it out on your own.

"I need to know who's entered and exited the Underdank."

"I gave those file to the sheriff," says Ling, irritation rising in her voice, "I just said that."

"There are children missing, Ling," says Tanglepork, looking her dead in the eye. "The sheriff is blaming you."

"Sprogs on walkabout and that c**t's playing blamsies?" growls Ling, "What are your leads? Macca's way or Splish-Splash?"

"Can you... repeat that?" asks Tanglepork.

Ling takes a deep breath, "If the sheriff's not looking for the kids, then I will. So, what are your other leads? Could they have gone past Old McDonald's farm or Splish-Splash River? Whose tykes are missing, too?"

"You wanna help?" says Tanglepork, taking out a notepad, "Okay, yes, it's six kids, maybe seven."

"Maybe seven?"

"Sheriff's not counting Matches."

"Who's that?"

"Homeless orphan, lurked around the other side of town for about half a month. May be unrelated."

Ling sighs. "Next time ya know someone who might be starving, send them my way."

"Will do." The deputy begins reading her notes. "First, we have Hanzy and Grater, Toothfist's kids; last seen leaving school last week. Never made it home."

"Goblins," says Ling, "That's why it's taken this long to notice. Hanzy's the one with the weird spiky growths."

"Second, Graupel and Rosen Rotweiss, twin kobolds, allegedly assisting 'a dwarf' every couple days, disappeared earlier this week."

"Any I.D. on this 'dwarf'?"

"Not yet. Vague enough to be in any direction too... including the Underdank."

Ling shakes her head; it's not worth commenting on.

"Third, Gene Geneson Jr., parents claim he ran away a few days ago."

"Genette? Yeah, I can take a swing at why she'd do that."

Tanglepork checks her notes, "She?"

"Not your business," waves Ling, "Shouldn't have said it. Regardless, possibly our 'dwarf.'"

"Uh, finally, Loxi Goldberry, mayor's niece, went out looking for Gene yesterday."

J: Oh, Loxi... A: Who is she? J: Nothing, no one really. L: Jevoi's first crush. She was in tatters when Loxi and Genette started dating. J: I was not! D: I thought it was Gank. J: That is also false.

"There we go," says Ling, "The reason the sheriff's acting now. Have anything from the kids? Hair or nails?"

"I know what your thinking," says Tanglepork, pulling a pink hairbrush out of her bag; it is covered in blonde elven hair, "We already tried this."

"That's curious," says Ling, snatching the brush, "But let me try first."

Ling focuses on the girl's discarded hair and sends a pulse of magic through the world. There is no reaction from anything.

"Told you," says Tanglepork.

"This is a big clue," says Ling. Noticing the deputy's confusion, she continues, "If the location pulse isn't detecting her, it means something, or someone, is actively blocking it."

"Or she's not on this plane of reality."

"Both directions worth looking into," says Ling, handing the brush back, "Anything for the other kids, just to be certain?"

L: We checked; no signal for any of them, not even Matches.

[hayaku14]

pushing daisies kaishin au #2

pushing daisies au where shinichi has been able to revive dead animals, plants, even people since he was a child.

kudou "i can literally talk to the dead" shinichi

shinichi's parents didn’t exactly encouraged him to use this power. especially not in public. they’ve seen him revive and re-kill dead plants and animals in the same breath, it doesn’t take a detective to figure out what could happen near a human corpse.

but a young shinichi is curious, a young shinichi admired his father, and a young shinichi wanted to prove himself a detective. but most of all, a young shinichi wanted to help.

so when he saw his father struggle in solving a particular case, a young shinichi figured that maybe asking straight from the source would help give them a hint.

the complete horror in yusaku's eyes shinichi saw that day made him promise himself to never do it again.

shinichi realizes later on that reviving someone just for a clue on the whos, hows, and whys of their death only to touch them again, to basically kill them again, is sick and twisted and the realization leaves him feeling raw and dirty.

he then decides that if he’s gonna find out the truth, if he’s gonna bring justice, it’s not by making the victims suffer a second death. he will unravel the mystery not by magic but by logic.

the curious case of kuroba kaito

hakuba immediately contacts shinichi.

“he was...a friend. if i have to gather all the best detectives to catch his murderer then so be it.”

hakuba goes on to explain.

it was a kid heist. shots were fired. snipers. kaitou kid was caught on camera falling, as if he’d been shot, but he appears a minute later flying away on his glider with not a speck of blood on his suit. all should be well however, a few buildings away in an alleyway, the body of kuroba kaito is found dead. gunshots through the heart and chest.

a simple explanation would’ve been that the glider was a fake activated by kid’s assistant as a last ditch effort to save his legacy and this kuroba kaito was kaitou kid himself. he would’ve said it out loud but by the look on hakuba’s face, he can tell that he already connected those dots long before shinichi even stepped foot in the morgue. that wasn’t what hakuba called him for.

“can i...take a look at the body alone?”

hakuba raises an eye at him but moves to leave without questioning. "alright then. i have to check on another friend anyway. she's been...distraught ever since she heard the news and..." hakuba's words trail away as his eyes unconsciously drifted towards kuroba kaito's covered body. shinichi patiently waits through the quiet pain that he sees on hakuba. the pinch in his brows, the tenseness of his body. he must've been a really good friend.

hakuba shakes his head and turns his attention back to shinichi. "sorry, i...its been a long day. i'll leave you here then. call me if you find anything."

left alone, shinichi carefully zips open the body bag covering kaitou kid's upper body. he looked eerily similar to himself and imagining his own body cold and dead in the morgue sent a shiver down his spine. shaking his head, he pulls a chair close and reads through the file hakuba brought him.

"no witnesses. no camera. not a trace nor lead to anything. just some reports on mysterious gunshots in previous heists that lead to nowhere." they were professionals, whoever did this, shinichi thought. it was not going to be an easy case.

he takes another peek at the body. so this was kaitou kid, huh. too young to be the same as the one before his hiatus. perhaps a successor? motive could be related to his predecessor. his mother hasn't said anything of interest. does she really not know or is she protecting him? he runs his hand through his hair. there's too little information to go on...unless...

temptation rears its head. the source of information is right there in front of him. one touch and it could open up new leads to the case. an immediate disgust twists deep into his gut. he promised himself to never use it on people. to never kill. his father's haunted eyes embedded in his mind. he shouldn't. he really shouldn't. but he remembers the anguished look on hakuba's face. if he was going to do it, this might be the only good time. any longer and his touch would not revive kid. and gone along with him would be vital information to catch his murderer.

shinichi heaves a deep sigh. he has never used his abilities on dead people since that one incident as a child but he couldn't shake off the look on hakuba's face. it was now or never. shinichi reaches for kid's hand.

---

pushing daisies au #1

[superbat-lmao]

In a family full of detectives, the Bats must have each come across situations that absolutely stumped them. Especially given the fact a lot of them have dealt with alien threats, magic, and meta humans.

So I like to imagine that all of them would hate those dinner party murder mystery games. Because they’re too easy. But they hate them in the way they hate new Lexcorp tech, they know exactly what could be fixed to make it actually functional. Or in this case, actually a mystery.

The struggle comes from deciding who is the one writing the mystery and who’s the one solving it. Because all of them are detectives in their own right and would get a kick out of this kind of enrichment.

Because Bruce would get a kick out a group birthday present from his kids where everyone is at the manor playing a character that severely contrasts their own personalities but is still meant to be frustrating for him. And the Batkids had trouble deciding at first who to make the murderer, trying to determine which kid Bruce would be most uncomfortable accusing of murder, even as a game.

Tim’s murder mystery would involve a lot of orchestration from Babs. He asked for the hardest mystery they could think of, so Babs has fabricated digital footprints, the Batkids stealth their way across the globe and he has to play a life sized game of Carmen Sandiego trying to track down his leads.

By the time it’s Dick’s then to solve a murder mystery, the Titans have found out about the games and get roped into playing. He’s also the only one who solves an actual murder alongside the fake case, making a realization about one of the cold case files he’s been working on in his off time.

For Cass’s murder mystery, none of the players are given information to conceal. They wrote narratives for each character to have committed the murder and then had a blind selection of the story line so that none of the players would know if their character did it. It’s like Clue, Cass has to check her deductions against a sealed card containing the answers. It was the only way they could think of stumping her with their body language.

Jason’s has Alfred’s involvement written all over it. Yes, the detective work is an amalgamation of the Batfamily’s efforts, but Alfred makes sure that certain character relationships and motivations parallel pieces from classic literature. It’s a trip down memory lane and all of the books that Jason read during his childhood at the manor and Alfred does his best to make him sentimental about it as part of the misdirection that Alfred’s character is the murderer. It almost works.

Steph’s murder mystery involves magic and aliens. She has a lot of practice solving day-to-day crimes so the family puts together the most absurd and abstract space and magic related case they can. It’ll flex some of her muscles when coming up against irregularity but it was also crafted to make her laugh. After all, who would have imagined there’s a species of alien out there allergic to waffles? It’s monotonous to face that same threats of muggings, trafficking, smuggling, murder, and other frequent Gotham crimes. Sometimes, you have to mix it up and remember reality can be absurd as well as commonplace.

Duke’s murder mystery is part of his “onboarding” into the batfamily. It relies on key observations from game-changing cases that the Bats have worked over the years that Duke wasn’t around for. He takes point during the day and helps out with larger cases, but it’s his first real test of handling the detective work of a multi-rogue level case by himself. And he’s good, breezes through things that had tripped up Dick or Tim during their Robin years but still finds ways to work through the parts that have him stumped.

Damian’s murder mystery is similar to Tim’s in that it is transnational and involves several famous and unknown art museums. It requires a lot of very specific information to uncover forgeries, complicated motivations, different layers of interrelatedness. It challenges him to think from specific details to connecting big picture movements and motivations of individuals and groups. Art was chosen as a through-point so that he would have an excuse to view galleries he had mentioned previously while still posing a challenge. It was a shock to more than just Damian when everyone realized Talia had agreed to play the red-herring.

Barbara’s murder mystery mixes several generations of technology. There are several layers of converting analog tech and different types of digital tech that tests her knowledge of the limitations of pieces of technology over the ages. It also brings her back into the field for recon in some creative ways since each of the Bats is a character and not able to do investigative work on her behalf. She solves her case the fastest of any of the Bats not because it was an inadequate challenge, but because she delegated her tasks as Oracle to Bruce and Tim and was able to devote 100% of her capabilities to solving this one case as opposed to her insane level of multitasking she’s usually operating at.

Alfred’s is also contained within the manor and treated similarly to an actual murder mystery. Everyone gets a kick out of him playing the part of the detective but slowly they begin to realize that some of the ways he conducts questioning witnesses or makes deductions is just slightly off from how Bruce does things. At first they seem to think Alfred’s putting his own spin on Bruce’s procedures but they begin to figure out that he’s following MI6’s standard operating procedures. They also realize that a lot of the Bats operating procedures are derivatives of different MI6 protocols. Clearly they’ve been updated or altered, but it’s all foundational, as though Alfred is writing the rule book before their eyes. It’s immediately obvious where the World’s Greatest Detective gets it from.

[xx-thedarklord-xx]

saw your name on the erised particpant post and i'm so excited to read what you wrote! it's like seeing authors in the wild when they do fests and stuff. can't wait

Ahh thank you! I've participated three times in Erised and unfortunately, this year will be my last time for that particular fest, but I am glad you are looking forward to it! There's another fest I participated in as well that will get revealed in the next couple weeks. If you are interested in my past fest fics, I'll link them.

-Dear Cousin, Love Regulus [Harry/Draco Big Bang 2018] As the sole Malfoy heir, Draco understood that his path was set long before his birth; who to be, how to act and what his choices should be. What he had not counted on was the power of outside influences. Letters from his deceased cousin caused him to realize that he did have choices, starting with the choice to be someone else, to be who he wanted to be. The road to self-discovery was difficult and navigating that path in the shadow of Harry Potter was its own challenge but maybe, just maybe, his friends would help him along the way. And he would owe it all to Regulus Black.

-Ardour of Karma [H/D Erised 2019] “Malfoy knows something is going on with you and unless you both want to go back to fighting and death glares, you should fix it.”

“How do I do that? Just waltz up to him and say, ‘I know I’ve been a prat but your scent makes my dick swell. How’s your day?’”

“Mind repeating that?”

The familiar drawl had Harry’s throat clamming up as his blood ran cold. Oh no.

-The Forsaken [Harry/Draco OwlPost 2019] When Draco imagined his future as a child he thought he'd be a Potion Master, get married and maybe have a kid. But the reality was he was a retired Assassin, bitten by a Vampire and mated to a reckless, idiotic, foolish ex-Auror now turned Veela—Harry Potter.

-Borrowing Courage [H/D Erised 2018] After years of being a Magical Artist and painting for other people, Draco decides it’s time to paint for himself for once. The secrets pile up as he tries to unravel the mystery of his relatives but the only thing he didn’t count on was having to go to Potter of all people for approval.

-Save a Horse, Ride a Malfoy [HP Kinkfest 2020] Riddles are woven throughout life, some never answered and many lost in frustration. Whatever riddle it was that defined what Harry and Draco had was a mess of a riddle that worked for them, despite what everyone else thought, even if there was no answer—yet. Sex was another riddle, only that was one they had solved many, many times over. 

-Still Standing [H/D Fan Fair 2019] Not many know the evil origins of a Philosopher's Stone. When Draco discovers that the Goblins found one and kept it, he'll stop at nothing to see it taken care of. Even if that means having to deal with Gringotts' very own resident twat: Harry Potter.

-Augury Forecast [HP Drizzle Fest 2018] Draco had always known that teaching at Hogwarts would be an experience, he just didn’t think that meant a flash flood in the kitchens, a windstorm in the Great Hall, or a sandstorm in the Quidditch pitch. Months of extreme weather would grate on anyone’s nerves, but to have Potter, the ever annoying Divination Professor, around every corner was even worse. So much for a quiet life at Hogwarts.

-Teach Me [HP Contest Fest 2018] "If you can’t learn Occlumency, then you can’t become an Auror.”

No. All of this couldn’t be for nothing. Harry hadn’t spent so much time proving himself, proving that he was more than just a famous name for all of this to go to shite. “This can’t be the end.”

"I have someone in mind that could teach you if you are willing, but I can't guarantee he will help, especially considering your... past." 

"You don't mean Malfoy, do you?"

-Worth Betting On [HP Joggers Fest 2018] The easy way Malfoy breezed into the arena in an unprofessional attire—grey joggers that outlined far too much, and a white dress shirt open with nothing underneath—which showed off his chest, his sweaty sweaty chest—had Harry sitting up straighter. It wasn't unusual to see Malfoy in such a state of undress, it was a signature move that he refused to change.  

Not that Harry wanted him to change. 

 Or the one where Draco is a professional Duelist, and Harry can't stay away from the matches.

[vitaminseetarot]

PAC: 11/11 Self-Care Messages 🍊🌚🦂

Hey y'all. I'm here to take a brief break from NaNoWriMo (I've been making big progress, I swear!). I've heard from some astrologers that this new moon is going to be rather strong, similar to the energy of the full moon.

After some scouring through the web to find horoscopes that weren't all doom and gloom, I figured now would be a good time to draw some cards for a few wellness messages. This was done to check current mood and energy and suggest healing or wellness methods mainly for stress relief.

I emphasize that if you have a real medical issue, best to take it to a doctor, even if you're thinking it's possibly a psychic thing.

Please choose your pile based on palette color below:

Pile 1 - Tropics Pile 2 - Pinkadelic Pile 3 - Mysterious Night Pile 4 - Solar Energy

Take care~☼

Pile 1: Tropics

The World, Peace, Surrender, Salt Bath, Receive, King of Cups, Knight of Swords, Seven of Coins

So you've done it, or it's been done. You've checked the items off your list. You've asked others if there was more to do only to be met with shaking heads saying "no, but thanks." So what to do now? It's easy to get used to this position of needing to be the big helper all the time. A king of cups taking on the world wants to solve every problem and won't rest until everyone is satisfied. But what would all of that take? Is it worth draining your cup, especially when others are learning to rely on it so much?

Your cards are suggesting a much needed rest time. If it's not a salt bath, then try just resting in bed, a brief sunbath, or a massage therapy session. It's not just resting your body, but your mind. You got two color cards which fell out. Surrender the mind for peace within the body. They're linked in this case. Knight of Swords says whatever happens to one will quickly affect the other. Recovery may take some time so please give yourself space to breathe.

This could be a specific message for some out there. I felt a brief pang in my chest that went away as soon as your reading was finished. I don't usually interpret this Salt Bath card in such a literal way, but… please watch your salt intake, more or less, make sure you're getting iodized salt. Some of you may be worried about doctor's visits? Just make sure you're drinking enough water in between salty meals. Keep your stress levels down, above all.

Take care of your heart health and try not to run yourself ragged with too many assignments and crisis alerts going off (what the heck there's a random phone alarm going off in my house now JUST as I'm typing this! And then it stopped as soon as I got up! Crazy). The message is to not respond to every single call and alarm that goes off okay! You definitely need time to rest, and boundaries for said rest. I mean deeply rest and clear your mind, let yourself suspend from the schedule with some suds. You can't get away to paradise forever, but you can create for yourself a moment in time.

Pile 2: Pinkadelic

Five of Coins, Trust, Bodega Cat, Acceptance, VI The Lovers, XVII Star, Ace of Cups

Tick tock, you've been waiting a while for this to come around in your life. I feel this is strongly a love related reading but let's see. If it's not a romantic partner you're attracting, it's a fresh start at life or spiritual awakening, the feeling of falling in love again with life. You've likely been waiting for a while, stuck in a limbo state, learning how to remain comfortable or at least steady in the unknown. Yet you're eager for that "more" or "other" kind of experience. The type of manifestation that makes life feel magical and new.

You need a quick pep talk. I might get a little cheesy with the message, but here goes: For anyone who has yet to meet you, you are that magic spark in their life. You're radiating the energy of wish making and affection and that has an effect on others around you. You're already on the way to attracting the one who will properly recognize that for you. I'm picking up on a lot of artists in this pile. Your magic seeps through to your art, your aura or energy rubs off onto what you make, and somebody special will see the talent in your work. You have way more talent in the arts than you think.

With that said, the Bodega Cat is a lucky cat here to remind you of your independence. You ultimately don't need anyone to come along and remind you of how amazing your work is. Once you see it for yourself, they will come. Once you see it as done, they will show. Perhaps more than it may seem right now. Just like the cat can be itself and people will show up to pet it and take pictures, whatever you bring forth will carry that same unique charm naturally.

You may be in the mood to go on a shopping spree. Treat yourself to something small and nice, like candy or a new t-shirt, it doesn't have to be extravagant. I recommend affirmations specifically on self-love for you, pile 2. Take a mirror marker and write nice things on your mirror. Pet a lucky cat when one stops by, as well! Sweeten your water with some fresh fruit for a sensual touch. Trust and believe. All of this beautiful magical energy is bursting outwards from you! Accept the wish that's there out in front of you.

Pile 3: Mysterious Night

Three of Swords, Growth, Dandelion, Perspective, XII Hanged Man, King of Swords, X Wheel of Fortune

I can tell that whatever has happened in the last few months, you've taken on a hurdle of challenges to get to where you are now. You've had to learn some harsh lessons, some of which may have felt like they were coming out of nowhere. The word 'Disappointment' was clear and capitalized. It seemed like you took many chances or opportunities on, only to be spun around and left in the dark to figure things out on your own. This last cycle was a particular struggle to build resilience while maintaining the motivation to keep moving toward your goals.

But look, you got both the Growth and Dandelion card in your reading! This is truly signifying how much you've really fought back and continued to nurture yourself in spite of the circumstances thrown in your face over and over. There's a spirit of not giving up even when you let yourself have the chance to process the feeling otherwise. Determination isn't about pretending to be happy in spite of comebacks. Disappointments happen; it's a chance to cry it out before smiling again, it's an umbrella and rain coat to let the day rain from time to time instead of expecting the skies to always stay clear.

You've weathered so much and gained an abundance of wisdom this past season, it's like at this point you're gearing up to be ready for whatever comes next. I don't know if you are necessarily expecting good things to come your way, however. Those might be the very things to sweep you off your feet. Or you may still be too on guard to notice the good luck. It's like the dandelion has gotten acclimated to the cracks, but is it ready for the wheel to turn and for the water to flow in between?

I feel like this whole reading is about being ready for a level up. If you need 999 XP to do so, then right now you're at 900. You're getting to the finish line. But instead of getting too worked up about the end result, however, you've mastered the art of hanging back and waiting for when the time is right. Your new perspective allows you to lay back and take a breather between these strong growth spurts. Remember to stay grounded to your toughened roots, pile 3. Try out grounding exercises and meditations. Spend time out in nature when considering the next moves you're going to make in life. No need to rush this kind of growth.

Pile 4: Solar Energy

Two of Swords, Fear, What You Seek is Seeking You, Change, XV The Devil, Ten of Swords, Seven of Pentacles, Six of Pentacles

I always forget how terrifying the devil card is in this deck lol! In fact I'm seeing and sensing a LOT of fear and anxiety in this pile which is why I went and added an extra tarot card. Six is pentacles on top of the deck is good as it shows help is on the way soon. Remember to stay centered and calm at this time, your chance to heal is coming for you, but you may need to yield some of the resistance behind allowing the change necessary to make way for that healing to occur.

It seems as though your pile conjures images of wanting to see daylight at the end of the tunnel. You feel that change is coming very soon and you're not sure if you're able to handle the next cycle after the one that you've been through. Quite the wringer you've been in for some time… I think a lot of y'all have done some shadow work recently, and it has not been the easiest. It's not always about meditating and journaling. Sometimes it's about seeing how simple, basic fears that are universal to humankind can get distorted and become something much more twisted. When you work past the scary parts, you can see the fear for what it really is. 10 of Swords is Sun in Gemini, learning that sometimes overthinking isn't going to solve the problem, especially when the worst is already past you.

A lot of good things seem to be underway for you even if they're not present at the moment. You've done a fair share of rummaging in the attic and going through all the old, little things. You're going through an extensive clearing out phase. Give yourself the opportunity to put the swords of caution down and accept a gentle wave of positive changes to restructure your life piece by piece.

I'm also getting that this pile may be particularly affected by seasonal affective disorder. Make sure to go out and get some sunlight outside, through windows, or UV lamps. I don't know for sure how Vitamin D supplements would help and you'll want to be careful with St John's Wort if you're on medication, but John's Wort is a good supplement I use for my tea to combat the winter blues. If you sense that your mental state may be getting triggered by lack of sunlight, please look into it.

This reading has not been evaluated by the FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or infection. Please ask your physician before going online.

2023, @VitaminseeTarot ™

[blue-razzslushie]

Introducing My Hogwarts Legacy MC: Rory Ebony!

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Name: Rory Michael Evan Ebony

Age: 15

Voice Claim: Jessica Vosk (Lute from HH)

Personality Type: INTJ-T

House: Ravenclaw

Patronus: Raven (Ironic much)

Boggart: Themself, corrupted by dark ancient magic like Ranrok was. It was what they could have been, or yet to be.

Hair color: Black

Eye color (s): Yellow and Dark Blue

Skin tone: Caramel

Nationality: Pardo [Brazilian + British.]

Height: 5'4

Clothing Style: Typically casual and easy to move around clothes works for them best. When the Option arises, they always choose to take off their school robe. They prefer to dress more masculine, would rather Avada Kadabra Themself then wear a skirt or dress. Hands get cold easily so they always keep on fingerless black gloves. Also enjoys keeping Solar Specticals on at all times, due to their light sensitivity!

PERSONALITY, LIKES AND DISLIKES

Personality: Rory is a very straight forward serious person, especially for their age. Preferring to outsmart their opponents then go in headfirst. They mostly spend their time in the Room of Requirment studying for classes, making plans to stop Rookwood and Ranrok's lot, and occasionally reading up on astronomy. Besides for a handful of teachers and students, They would very much prefer to not talk to anyone and be alone. Once people do get close to them, they can be more open and friendly.

Traits: Sarcastic, Smart, Cold, Brave, Witty, Snarky, Sassy, Calculative, Funny, Stubborn, Very VERY stubborn

Likes: Silence, Alone time, Cats, Raccoons, Dueling, Lemon tea, Astronomy

Dislikes: Children, Crowds, Loud noises, The Smell of Peanut butter, Squirrels, getting called any words that insult their intelligence or work ethic, for example. . .Ignorant (SEBASTIAN cough cough)

Habits: Fiddling with wand absentmindedly, Being too blunt with people, Overworking, Cutting Sleep, Skipping Meals, Pushing people away

Hobbies: Drawing, Writing, Playing Violin, Studying Astronomy, Talking Shit abt people to their Kneazle

Fears: Being Forgotten, Letting people down.

Favorite Class: Potions/DADA

Favorite spells: Diffindo, Depulso, Incendio, Glacius, Disillusionment, Alohomora

Favorite Professors: Prof. Sharp, Prof. Fig, Prof.Hecat, Prof.Weasley

Favorite Beast: Kneazle/Hippogriff

BACKGROUND/ LORE

Rory doesn't really remember the early years of their life. They were born as what would modernly be known as Intersex, Not exactly known what gender they were at all. And just as you would expect, society including their parents were not fond of this. It was as if they we're a freak. Not too long after being born Rory's parents seperated, and didn't seem either was keen to keep the child they had created. With a stroke of pure genius abandoning them at a small Orphanage called SmileSide Orphanage; and never looking back.

SmileSide Orphanage mind you, was anything but a place to smile. It was rather poor to say the least and the caretakers for the children were. . .less then kind. The place constantly smelled of old socks and despair, every child there constantly scared stiff by the women who ran the place. It seemed like everything anyone did was wrong. Breath too loud? Locked in the cellar with no meals for 2 Moons. Speak out of turn? Wash out your mouth with soap! And the punishments only got more severe from there. Just like the other kids, Rory hated it there.

However, Unlike most children, they never really were too interested in getting adopted or finding friends at the place. Instead, They spent most of their time nose in a book, they liked non-ficton and learning everything they could. But, Fiction always holds a special place in their heart. More specifically, Mystery series. Rory always loved solving puzzles and mysteries, Figuring out the culprit of the crime along with the main character in their favourite book was always something they enjoyed. As well as reading, they did more creative things as well, Drawing, Writing, tinkering. . .all while Learning as much as they could from the local library and other educational things the small town had to offer.

This went on for 14 more years, along the way Rory eventually growing tired of the same routine. They wanted adventure, something new to discover, maybe a new book to read? They had read almost every one in the library twice for Peats Sake! Eventually, on their 15th birthday receiving a letter at their bedside. It was a rather ominis letter, being addressed to:

Rory Micheal Evan Ebony

432 Creek Road, SmileSide Orphanage

Bed #12, 2nd Floor

Oh. . .okay! This was a bit unsettling. Reading the message, they learned the letter came from "Headmistress Matilda Weasley".or whoever she was. The letter informed them they shall be admitted to a school called "Hogwarts". Apparently they were long overdue to go, 4 entire years late? However, a man named Eleazar Fig, or Professor Fig, was going to be coming to mentor them? They were baffled, yet excited. This was unexpected, uncharted Mystery Letter. And you know them. . .They loved solving a good Mystery. Surprisingly (and conviently) enough not even 5 minutes later a older man showed up at the front door wearing rather Flamboyant clothing. He looked at the child before him as if he already knew them, extending a hand and introducing himself as Eleazar Fig. . .hey it's the man from the letter! Now this? This was the sort of new adventure they've been craving. . . If only they new what the future would hold.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH STAFF/STUDENTS

Professor Fig: Father Figure #1! person Rory was able to trust, and I mean fully trust. They bonded well over the few months before Rory attended Hogwarts, Getting taught about the Wizarding World and its inhabitants. Their bond only strengthened once the whole Ancient Magic ability came about. They were a lot alike, Clever, Sassy, and unbelievably courageous. Fig was their emotional backbone throughout the journey, giving words of encouragement and praise all the way. Professor Fig always cared for Rory as if his own child since the day they began being mentored by him, They acted a lot like Miriam in his opinion, and that's what only made him love them more. He understood them, and even when he didn't he tried to be there either way. As much as they would have rather died then admit it, Professor Fig was basically what They always wanted in their father. A kind man who would support them and be able to trust. If only he could still be here. . .Oh Professor, they're so sorry.

Professor Sharp: Father Figure #2! Rory always liked Potions, and Professor Sharp's class in general. They always found it odd how people hated his class, Perhaps those students were just to weak when it came to "Intimidating" people telling them what to do. The two didn't start to truly bond until after Professor Fig's death, Sure they knew each other and were friendly. . . But that's all it was. It wasn't until Rory was in the Potions classroom every other hour trying to hide from People asking questions about the battle under Hogwarts and Professor Weasley's kind but overwhelming mother henning, the potions professor and the Ravenclaw really started to actually know each other. The two were a lot alike in personality and mannerisms, hell even similar mental issues. To Professor Sharp. . . They were too alike for his own comfort. Professor Sharp always was fond of Rory, as much as it could be hard to see. He admired their hard working, no nonsense ethic that very few others their age manages to possess. Albeit he had chided them one too many times about almost falling asleep in their brews every so often. He almost saw himself in the kid, and to say the least he didn't like that

Self destructive tendencies that he knew WAY too well. After Professor Fig passed he stepped up to be their "mentor" in a sense. Mentoring them to keep helping them understand 4 extra years of Hogwarts magic they missed, as well as maybe get them off the destructive path they were going down.

Professor Weasley: Mother Figure!! Rory always highly respected and admired Professor Weasley. She was unbelievably kind to them at the first moment they met. And continued to be during the school year and even after that. Professor Weasley was just as fond or Rory as they were to her, if not more. Such a hardworking student who seemed to be prepared every step of the way. Sure she was a bit cross they had lied to her for the better part of the year about their ancient magic ability and. . . Extra Curricular activities that could have easily ended their life. But she was mainly just glad they were alright. . . She doesn't have favorites what do you mean?

Sebastian: Buddies. Ever since first day DADA, Rory and Sebastian grew to be close friends. Investigating the triptych and that damned Relic, the two had their own hate/love dynamic. There was only so much tomfoolery and idiotic statements Rory can take before having to "take a break" from Sebastians presence. . . Who doesn't need a break from that.

Natty: Platonic Soulmates, From the First day in class, to the troll attack in Hogsemead, and the many more adventures the two had go on. Natty and Rory were joined at the hip, Close as can be. Natsai was one of the only people Rory could be around and genuinely smile, Making sly jokes and Sarcastic comments back and forth at one another. One of the most powerful duo's in Hogwarts I'd reckon.

Poppy: Close friends. Poppy is more of the opposite of Rory, The sun to their moon if you would. Saving beasts from poachers, Successfully returning a dragon egg to it's mother, and befriending the Centaurus, the two grew close over the school year.

Ominis: Friendly aquaintances, besides trying to stop Sebastian from doing anything too idiotic for the most part Ominis and Rory don't talk much. The two mostly conversate in Professor Binns class, since they are sat right beside one another.

Amit: Best Friends! Amit and Rory are two buddy's who love the stars and it's wonders, when the chance arises the two can be found in the library or in the astronomy tower info-dumping about their own discoveries of the cosmos.

Garreth: Friends! Since the two are both adept in potion making, they mostly bond in potions class. Sometimes getting partnered up together for specific lessons. Thankfully for Professor Sharp, Rory manages to keep Garreth from doing anything explosive when paired together. Sure they do threaten him with a hex that would have him puking up slugs for a few days. . . But then again he has it coming.

Imelda: Rivals to Lovers. Ever since the first Flying race the two had against one another in the beginning of the year, a electrical Rivalry started. One thing Rory never did, was back down. Even so they were always impressed by Imeldas firey spirit when it came to flying, being so passionate was somehow attractive? Rory and Imelda met up every week or so to fly, Even if it wasn't on a race track they would fly along together, spitting firey yet affectionate insults at one another. On the other hand, Rory's competitive spirit and down right determination, not to mention how they could easily clap back and stand up for themself. . .it was one of the reason Imelda liked them so much, to her dismay. No no no! They were NOT apart of her future plans! She doesn't have time for them. . . Does she? No she isn't blushing. . . She has a fever! It's hot out!. . . Ughh

CREATOR/ AUTHORS NOTE! ! !

Hey all! You can call Me Razz, and this is my goofy little Hogwarts Legacy Oc! HL has been rolling around in my brain for a HOT ASS MINUTE and I've seen so many lovely people on here sharing their MC's so it's my turn lol! If you like Rory and want to see more LEMME KNOW I LOVE DRAWING THEM!!

[vinnysimmer]

My Mystery Stories #1

Chapter 6: Luca's Interrogation

The anxiety of finding Luca was making Detective Luke more tense than he imagined. The detective never had an easy childhood, always moving or changing his name and style, so it was easy to find comfort and shelter in a famous children's program - he watched every day the little Pedrito who had just moved with his parents to the farm recently inherited from his beloved grandfather without imagining that the farm was magical and full of adventures - Luke saw his life summed up in that character and many times he wished to go live on a magical farm with his family instead of the rush and danger that always seemed to know where they were. Coincidentally, Pedrito and Luke were growing up almost at the same time - not in age, but in maturity - and just as Pedrito began to feel certain desires of puberty, the redhead did too. Luke thought it was absurd that Lionel had invaded Luca's privacy and even more absurd the things he said during the interrogation, which only left him at the top of the list of suspects.

Luke's cell phone hadn't rung since he left campus. He still didn't know, and it didn't even cross his mind that another attack had happened at the same time he was leaving. Maybe the anxiety mixed with excitement was distracting him again. Remembering the mistake he had made before only made his heart beat faster. The detective swallowed hard when he saw the small building that was Pimenta's Pub appear in his field of vision. He parked across the street and checked his hair and whether he still smelled of the perfume he had used that morning. After reapplying his perfume - being careful not to overdo it - Luke got out of the car without even taking his notepad. That reminded him of what Deputy Moss said: if she thought she was a professional just because she solved cases like that, imagine if she knew what Luke did before he became a detective. The redhead went over all the questions that needed to be asked and begged his heart not to make the same mistake as in the past.

Luke stopped when he saw the “Closed” sign, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door of the establishment. Upon entering, he noticed that the entire place was empty, except for the bartender, a person leaning against the back reading a magazine and Luca, who was sitting at the bar with a glass of wine in front of him. He wore pastel-colored clothes worthy of a young KAT member with a cap of the same color. Without realizing it, Luke was smiling, but he soon resumed his serious pose and began to approach, lingering his gaze on the person sitting at the back of the pub - who was holding the magazine so that his face could not be seen and was wearing warm clothes - he noticed the black umbrella next to the table and remembered that a storm was threatening to hit at any moment. Detective Allen sat down next to Luca, who looked at him in surprise and smiled, making Luke's heart race in a way he couldn't imagine, and to the detective's surprise, it wasn't difficult to start a conversation with the 'Pedrito' he had dreamed of meeting, but not in the current circumstances - with 'Pedrito' as a possible killer.

Wosgi from ΩKB was absolutely right, it was incredibly easy to talk to Luca, you felt comfortable, perhaps because of the Tartosian accent or the friendly smile that never left his lips.

The detective could not imagine that 'Pedrito' - who was younger than him, and had more achievements than him - could murder someone.

“…You know, I don’t think he ever got over the fact that I was chosen to play Pedrito. I remember when I first arrived at the studio to record my first scene, my uncle Luigi was going to be my father and Alexandrea Cole was going to be my mother, my grandfather was a screenwriter so it was easy to feel at home. My uncle took me to my dressing room, I remember being shocked to know that I would have one exclusively for myself, I was only 7 and I thought that only adults had an exclusive dressing room, and on the way there I met August. At the time he was 8 and a little bigger than me, he looked at me with such fury that I felt intimidated. After a while he came into my dressing room and said in no uncertain terms: ‘Because of you, I’m no longer the star of this show, now I only become the star if you get hurt or sick, so I’m going to replace you’, he said it so seriously that I was scared. And during my first scene, by a 'coincidence' of fate, I fell and twisted my ankle, because August sabotaged the boot I had to wear, I remember seeing him laughing and then I told him about the threat he made to me, and he was expelled. I was never vengeful, but I was pleased to see him leave crying and screaming saying that now he would be nobody. From then on, everywhere I went, he was there, I don't know how he knew, but he was always around. My father already knew everything so that's when he started to fill me with security, my mother said it was an exaggeration, at that time she already suffered with obsessive fans and haters, and it was she who taught me to always let it go and focus on doing what I love. My father sued August's parents, and my other obsessive fans were nothing compared to August's hatred, he lived to see me fall, he wanted to ruin me and when he couldn't, he started to ruin my relationships. He would pretend to be my friend in places so he could go into private places and bother me, because he was always a great actor too. And one of my friends, from when I was a child actor, Cendrillo Charming, said that August would do better if he went into the adult entertainment industry because he had a habit of offering himself to my exes, and I had to agree for a moment. I confess that I was a little scared when I got to UBrite and so was he, I joined KAT, and so did he. And I know he just wanted a reason to try to attack me, until my cousin Ric was very blunt and said: 'If you keep stalking my cousin, you won't end well', and… now he's dead, right after attacking me one last time, I can confirm that it wasn't my cousin, even though I was with Don Ward in his room and a while later, with cute Wosgi, they can confirm, I just know, that my cousin would never do something like that. I wanted to spend the night with Wosgi, but my cousin sent me a message alerting me to what happened, and so I left and we went back to KAT's mansion. I could barely sleep that night, but nothing was better than the sleep serum my uncle created. Since we, Gatti and Maglioni, were raised in such a way that the whole world saw us growing up, they know that we would never dirty our hands with murder. And I don't say this because of my image, but it's obvious, every child, teenager and young person wants to be one of us, so it's up to us, Gatti and Maglioni, to be an example for these people. You can question anyone on this campus, at Disney Studios or any other where I've worked, they'll all say the same thing: I'm a polite, friendly and exemplary young man that my family taught me to be…”

A new theory appeared in Luke's mind with every word the actor said, and it was difficult to focus when his mind distracted him with things he struggled not to feel at the moment. And Luke again remembered the mistake he had made in the past, it was supposed to be a quick and simple mission, but everything changed when his partner was taken hostage and the whole mission went down the drain because Luke put his feelings above the mission.

The redhead blinked his eyes hard, trying to focus on the interrogation, he might be daydreaming a little, but his mind captured every word the Tartosian actor spoke.

The interrogation went on - so comfortably that it didn't even seem like an interrogation - until Luke noticed the person who was sitting in the back leave through the back door. With a glance, the redhead saw that the person was wearing a hood and had just set up his umbrella and was looking back before leaving - the person was wearing a black scarf that barely showed his face - but the way he left reminded him of someone familiar.

After the Italian actor paused to take a sip from his glass of wine, Luke decided to change the subject - if it was indeed who he thought it was, who had just left he needed to be more subtle and careful - and the bartender also seemed to be paying more attention to the conversation than to his work.

It wasn't long before the bartender - who noticed that the subject had been changed on purpose, as had the mood between the two - announced that it was time to close for good, so the detective and the actor went to continue their conversation outside.

The street was already deserted, and Luke's agile eyes roamed the entire street looking for any hooded figures who might be following him.

Sitting on a bench near the pub - the sexual tension between them was almost reaching its peak - the detective saw the hooded man a few meters away, he kept his gaze fixed on him, until the hooded man turned his back and walked in the opposite direction. Noting that it would be dangerous for the Tartosian actor to go back alone, he offered to accompany him - the hooded man was no longer in sight of the detective.

They walked down the sidewalk in the same direction the hooded man had gone, talking about how busy Luca's life had been with duties, recordings, the pressure of the media and the recent breakup with a famous person and for a moment, Luke realized how similar they were. The kiss that had been postponed minutes ago was about to happen, until a black car honked behind them, making both of their hearts almost stop.

That message made Luke's blood boil; it really was who he imagined was sitting in the pub. Furious, he put his cell phone on silent at the same time that the Stranger called him. He returned to his car, happy that Pedrito had a life similar to his in real life and that they were compatible; the last moment before the car arrived had given him hope. The redhead knew that it wasn't healthy for him and that he shouldn't be allowing himself to live like that; his mother had always told him when he was a child: "Don't make the same mistakes, Luke! You might get away with it the first time, but maybe not the second time." And the detective remembered very well that he hadn't gotten away with it the first time and he didn't want to get hurt any more the second time.

Credits: Vinny @jakisimmer

[planet-crait]

Episode 11! Still mad vibing with the intro song and I refuse to emotionally dive into why the first line of the song hits so hard for me. I can’t really get a strong sense for what the wish will be this episode, maybe she wishes to live the life of a mystery movie? I’m intrigued.

Aww movie night with Hazel and her dad. That’s cute and oh it’s a mystery movie. I love them both guessing who the criminal really is. And oh her dad is leaving early. I wonder if they normally stay up really late watching? It’s cute father daughter bonding time but it’s sad we haven’t seen Hazel get that with her mom. Also sad her dad is cutting off early.

Ohhh okay so I don’t recall us seeing Hazel get this angry before. I love Father Time casually sliding in and out again sadly and no one seems to have noticed this just. I don’t know why it got a laugh out of me.

Maybe that’s why he fights so hard for control of time based wishes he just really wants an excuse to grant wishes. Cosmo why are you so sad shouldn’t you know Father Time will jump in?

I like that Hazels focus is wanting to solve mysteries instead of being angry with her dad. It’s a small thing but we do continuously see Hazel trying to focus her feelings onto what she can do or change instead of lashing out at people.

COSMO WANDA DONT LET SMALL CHILD WANDER AROUND AT NIGHT! Though I guess as magical beings they can overall protect Hazel BUT STILL.

I uh. Ima just uh move on past the squirrel and pigeon thing just uh. Okay.

Oh Hazel. Looking for a mystery when there likely isn’t one. This is going to end badly I think. Oh honey you gave up after like two seconds that’s not enough time to answer. Also why didn’t Cosmo and Wanda hide before she knocked? I know the writers knew no one would answer but they didn’t so they should be hidden.

I was almost right. Not sure why she had to wish that if she found the mystery already. Also uh I’ve actually never heard the term “gumshoe” before. You learn something new lolz. Wait uh did Wanda put Hazel in a movie or something? Why is Hazel interviewing her I’m confused. Wanda was with you before and after she disappeared so why she is a suspect is confusing.

Okay I will give it to Hazel these people are kind of weird taking in and out large boxes is odd. Or maybe I’ve moved too many times who knows lolz.

I love how only the kid notices Hazel is a kid. I don’t know why no one else has noticed, unless they’re just hand waving it in gf as a kid being a kid? Oh poor Cosmo, it’s an easy to miss detail but you can see Cosmos pained expression as Hazel is writing. I don’t always think about how that stuff could be painful for Cosmo and Wanda when they’re disguised but it makes sense.

Wait is it the next day now? The whole black and white thing makes it harder to tell how time is moving.

Lolz oh Hazel. You’re so silly I love you. I am once again reminded how weird I was as a kid to want to go to bed. Now as an adult I avoid it. Also love how Hazel knows a lot of expressions other kids don’t know lolz.

Wait why is Hazels mom not in black and white? Hazels dad is dropping facts lolz. Wait why is it flashing between black and white I’m so confused.

How did they install so many locks so quickly? Do they not work and have time to spend all day doing this? Why let their kids go to school if they’re so worried? Wait for now? I’m know this will probably have a “reasonable” explanation but I can’t think of any.

Wait are they like not human or something? Fairies? Aliens in disguise? That would explain why they’re acting so weird and pushing so hard the “normal humans” thing. Lolz toilet paper hoard is bringing back Covid PTSD from guests at the hotel I worked at stealing and hoarding stuff like this. It was chaos the poor housekeeping carts kept getting raided like no tomorrow it made their lives hell.

Uh back to the episode ugh why can’t she unwish the wish? I don’t get the logic here. Oh twins lolz. Wait why are they eating without the kids? That’s not cool. When would the dad have done anything Hazel? He gave her a package and left?

Okay sure fine weird but uh fine. But what about the “for now” comment I need answers here. Wait the old land lady left a bunch of trash for the new people moving in? Thats like evil. Also they are still like super weird. Why throw perfectly good food and dishes on the floor to toss? When do the boys get to eat?

How did no one know the old land lord was leaving? Changes in management usually alert the current tenants. And why give someone who is leaving a welcome gift?

While not a bad episode, it’s not one I really enjoyed all that much. Though it did have some cute moments with Hazel. I did think the twist with the twins was well done. These new neighbors though still haven’t answered some questions that I have a sinking feeling won’t ever get answered. Oh well. Onto the next one!

[the-king-andthe-lionheart]

Just one of many examples that showcase Arya’s great critical thinking and deductive skills:

A dozen people got there before her, though none was coming any too close. Arya squirmed between them. Weese was sprawled across the cobbles, his throat a red ruin, eyes gaping sightlessly up at a bank of grey cloud. His ugly spotted dog stood on his chest, lapping at the blood pulsing from his neck, and every so often ripping a mouthful of flesh out of the dead man's face.

Finally someone brought a crossbow and shot the spotted dog dead while she was worrying at one of Weese's ears.

"Damnedest thing," she heard a man say. "He had that bitch dog since she was a pup."

[...]

Arya lifted her gaze from the dead man and his dead dog. Jaqen H'ghar was leaning up against the side of the Wailing Tower. When he saw her looking, he lifted a hand to his face and laid two fingers casually against his cheek. (Arya VIII ACOK)

She had been avoiding the Lorathi since Weese's death. Chiswyck had been easy, anyone could push a man off the wallwalk, but Weese had raised that ugly spotted dog from a pup, and only some dark magic could have turned the animal against him. Yoren found Jaqen in a black cell, the same as Rorge and Biter, she remembered. Jaqen did something horrible and Yoren knew, that's why he kept him in chains. If the Lorathi was a wizard, Rorge and Biter could be demons he called up from some hell, not men at all. (Arya IX ACOK)

At Harrenhal, Arya gives Jaqen Weese’s name, and Arya is stumped and afraid about how Jaqen was able to turn Weese’s dog against him.  She thinks it must be dark magic.  Then two books later we have this passage:

Her part was mostly fetching, scrambling up ladders to find the herbs and leaves the waif required. "Sweetsleep is the gentlest of poisons," the waif told her, as she was grinding some with a mortar and pestle. "A few grains will slow a pounding heart and stop a hand from shaking, and make a man feel calm and strong. A pinch will grant a night of deep and dreamless sleep. Three pinches will produce that sleep that does not end. The taste is very sweet, so it is best used in cakes and pies and honeyed wines. Here, you can smell the sweetness." She let her have a whiff, then sent her up the ladders to find a red glass bottle. "This is a crueler poison, but tasteless and odorless, hence easier to hide. The tears of Lys, men call it. Dissolved in wine or water, it eats at a man's bowels and belly, and kills as a sickness of those parts. Smell." Arya sniffed, and smelled nothing. The waif put the tears to one side and opened a fat stone jar. "This paste is spiced with basilisk blood. It will give cooked flesh a savory smell, but if eaten it produces violent madness, in beasts as well as men. A mouse will attack a lion after a taste of basilisk blood."

Arya chewed her lip. "Would it work on dogs?"

"On any animal with warm blood." The waif slapped her.  (Cat of the Canals AFFC)

Two books later Arya manages to solve this mystery on how Jaqen killed Weese.  Not only does this show her critical thinking and deduction skills, but it really shows how aware she is of the things around her.  She doesn’t ignore unpleasant truths.  She accepts the reality and even when that reality doesn’t make sense to her, she tries to make it make sense with fact and reason instead of ignoring those ugly and confusing things.  One may say that this isn’t remarkable because it took Arya two books to figure it out, but that’s a dumb argument, because it wasn’t up until this moment that she knew of the existence of basilisk blood.  However, once she knew she connected the pieces fairly rapidly.  Actually extraordinarily rapidly considering Arya is 10 at the time of Weese’s death and Arya is 11 in AFFC, so a whole year and some change is in between the death and the discovery.  Arya also wasn’t wrong to assume that dark magic was a part of it, considering the Faceless Men are a magical guild that obviously uses blood magic, something she didn’t yet know about Jaqen when she first suspected it considering Jaqen hadn’t revealed his face changing to her yet at this point.

Arya is incredibly smart.  She also has great critical thinking and deduction and observational skills for a 9-12 year old.  Dismissing Arya’s intelligence and critical thinking skills is a disservice to her character, especially considering there are a lot of examples in the books showcasing these characteristics from her.

[sugaredcranberry]

Sorry, it doesn't look like I can send an ask >.<

Anyways, for the prompt: Kyo Yamazaki

1, 2, 4, 6 please!

(Submitted by malignmuffin)

Me when I don't see this ask/submission for what I think has been a couple years

But thank you so so so so much for the ask!!!! Honestly, quite a bit has changed about Kyo and her dynamics since I've been working with my brother and throwing more magical girls into the mix, so I'll respond with how she is in her current iteration!

1) What Magia Record character would/could your OC be good friends with?

Kyo unfortunately is still not one to have super close friends, however I could definitely see her having mad respect for Karin (while she was still in her stealing grief seeds phase) since Kyo basically does the same thing lmao

As Kyo gets softer and more willing to accept that hey, maybe being friends with people isn't a super terrible thing and I don't have to hold my cards so close to my chest all the time she would probably have a soft spot for any of the younger magical girls. Nagisa, Riko, Yuma, etc. And because of Riko's proximity to Ashley, they'd probably get along too.

Also I'd like to mention here that I jokingly ship Kyo with Ria because I just think it would be very funny

2) What Magia Record character would your OC HATE?

I know I just said that Kyo has a soft spot for the younger magical girls, but she would probably hate Touka's guts lol

There's a character within the story I'm making with my brother that really reminds me of Touka too, super smart child prodigy who is insufferable because they know they're smarter than everyone else in the room. And Kyo hates her so that translates well to Touka lol

Probably wouldn't like Kanagi for a similar reason, she's not a fan of authority. Even though Kanagi most definitely is chill, Kyo would just be rubbed the wrong way knowing that she's such a big shot in the magical girl community. If they talked for a bit though they could probably come to an understanding.

4) Would your OC have joined the Wings of Magius if given the chance? Why or why not?

Oh, most definitely. Kyo hates authority, but loves taking the easy way out of situations more. I doubt she would ever meet the Magius face to face, so she's safe from the headache that would come from being in the same room as them lololololol

6) How does your OC feel about Mirrors? Do they avoid it, go there to practice, or want to solve its mysteries-- or do they have a different motivation?

Kyo would avoid Mirrors like the plague lmao

She'd go a couple times to get a feel for it, thinking maybe since she also has powers related to the distortion of perception (she just has illusion powers) she'd have a sense of understanding of how mirrors worked. That view quickly crumbled the first time she saw a clone of herself, and then left and never looked back.

Again, thank you so much for your submission!!!!!! ^-^

As a little bonus, here's Kyo's wip new outfit hehe

[iibonniee]

Ice Skating | Chae Hyungwon

Paring: Chae Hyungwonx Reader

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: none

Rating: G

Word Count: 829

Prompt: Ice Skating

Masterlist

Tags: @doveslittlekpoparchive @choicethot @xosunny @heaviihamonii

Hyungwon was the type of person to make anything look easy to do. For example, his dance was almost far too flawless, his movement fluid and ethereal in nature. Every step he took, every wave of his hand was perfectly timed, aligning with the rhythm of music so seamlessly that it was almost as if the melody was born from his movement rather than the other way around. Even the complex footwork, which in the hands of a less skilled dancer would have been a stumbling block, appeared as simple as breathing when Hyungwon executed them.

Despite his exceptional skills, the charm of his dance was its deceptive simplicity. The movements were so smooth and natural that they invited onlookers to mirror them, deceiving the viewer into believing they, too, could dance with the same grace and ease. Everything Hyungwon did ask for participation, making it easy for anyone observing to feel like they could partake in the rhythm.

Just as effortlessly, Hyungwon transitioned into ice skating. He was as natural on the ice as he was on the dance floor, his grace and skill unhampered by the change in terrain. Watching Hyungwon ice skate was akin to watching a swan glide across a still lake. There was a serene elegance to it that simply enchanted.

Yet, just as before, his movements were so fluid and natural that they made you believe you could step onto the ice and join him. In such scenarios, it was impossible not to be enamored by his talent and, ultimately, by Hyungwon himself.

Which, in all honesty, caught Y/N off guard. As much as she tried to remember if he had done this before, her brain felt like it would explode if she thought about it any harder. The ice beneath his skates was like his dance floor back in Seoul; his skates were his favorite pair of sneakers.

She attempted to solve this as if she were a math puzzle. 2+2=4, but those skates plus the ice equaled what the fuck? There was no solving such a problem. Not even if she begged Albert Einstein to do it. She was sure even he would never be able to solve such a problem.

As she stood at the edges of the ice rink, Y/N studied Hyungwon. He was like a swan, his movements elegant and effortless, as though he had been born with ice skates on his feet. His fluidity left her awestruck.

“Why are you so good at this, Hyungwon?” Y/N blurted out before she could stop herself. Her eyes widened as he turned to look at her, a teasing smile playing across his lips. She stammered, caught off guard by his reaction, “I mean, we’ve never done this before, right? Not even back in Seoul.”

Her query was justified; it was a conundrum. From where was this natural grace springing? Even if she summoned the ghost of Sherlock Holmes, she doubted he could unlock the mystery.

Unperturbed, Hyungwon just shrugged, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “I guess I’m just a natural,” he said cheekily. Then, seeing her bemused expression, she added, “Don’t worry, I’ll teach you.”

And so, under the magnificent New York skies, he did. Like two synchronized dancers, they moved across the frozen waters of the city that never sleeps, creating memories that would last an eternity. The mystery was never solved, lost within the magic of their first shared New York adventure.

With an encouraging nod, he held out a hand towards her. Hesitant at first, Y/N reached out and took it. His touch sent warmth seeping into her despite the chill surrounding them.

“Now, all you need to do is trust me and follow my lead,” Hyungwon said, guiding her onto the smooth, icy surface. He steadied her as she wobbled, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. “Relax, Y/N. You’re doing great.”

He skated backward, pulling her along with him, their movements slow and uncoordinated at first. It was a dance between patience and perseverance. He was there to catch her with every fumble, their laughter echoing in the crisp winter air.

Y/N was methodically getting the hang of it, her movements becoming less jerky and more fluid with each passing minute. When she finally managed to skate a small distance on her own, a sense of accomplishment washed over her, a wide grin plastered on her face.

“Did you see that, Hyungwon?” she chirped. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold, but her eyes sparkled brighter than any of the city lights surrounding them. He nodded, his signature heartwarming smile lighting up his features.

“I knew you could do it, Y/N!” His praise lifted her spirits even higher.

As the night wore on, so did their shared ice-skating adventure, filled with laughter, gentle ribbing, and soft whispers of encouragement. The enigma of Hyungwon’s natural knack for skating soon faded into the background, replaced by the heart-warming connection they were weaving under the starry New York sky.

[whenthechickencry]

Umineko EP5. Tea Party and ???

The tea party starts by discussing what most magical beings are, starting with the Seven Sisters being cheap souvenirs.... they point out the Chiester Sisters are rifles but not that they are Maria's toys, which is kind of interesting. Dlanor tries to stop Bernkastel from defiling their executions and gets shut down because of Bernkastel's authority,

Bernkastel finally mentions Erika as her daughter after lovebombing her for a while and Erika is happy for like, the first time since her introduction... I always feel really bad for Erika in spite of it all.... narration points out she literally starts shaking at being allowed to call herself a witch.

Lambdadelta walks to Battler's corpse and talks about how disappointed she is. Dlanor just did this as well. Battler has disappointed everyone. Lambdadelta and Bernkastel flirt for a bit and Erika reveals the totally real title of Episode 6: Checkmate of the Golden Witch (ignore than in this version you can see all the titles from the main screen)

I will do the ??? as well since the Tea Party was really short. Beato NOW comes to tell Battler he is a liar and disappointed her, like everyone else by this point... the different voice she uses for I am sorry breaks my heart.

We flashback ad get an extended scene of Dlanor Virgilia Batller discussing the mystery genre more broadly, Battler doesn't like Knox commandments because saying shit isn't even worth investigating is arrogant and limits the genre (and also obviously doesn't like how Erika uses them to shut down theories before they are even looked into) but Dlanor talks about how they are there in order to have the trust in the writer in that the mystery is solvable. The discussion about how humans need assurance that what they are solving is solvable resonates with me..... often I assume I shouldn't even try to fix problems or solutions because I assume I am too dumb to solve them anyway,

So, the red is Beatrice giving Battler the tools he needs to solve her heart, and after enough failings and forcing him to try without much success....

im going to kill you Battler

As we move forward, Battler begins to realize how everyone has been throwing and throwing hints at him and he has been throwing them away, Battler starts making his final theory, his last attempt. With Knox's 1 he realizes everyone after EP1 must not be the culprit. Uses Knox second to realize that all the magic scenes had a deeper meaning in them.

Battler realizes EP3 was easy mode for babies, lol.

Battler's first words at realizing the truth: "Idiot..." Battler realized it was too late for Beato. Battler wasn't able to reach Sayo's heart when it mattered the most.

The game is allowed to continue because of Lambdadelta acknowledges Battler as the new Golden Witch, Lmand might not hand answers but she will help the people truly put in effort and create certainty. Erika feels humiliated by the fact Battler has a higher rank than her now... Battler's role as a Witch is pretty interesting too... he isn't interested in creating a truth so much as in creating enough truths to cast doubt into Erika's theory.... in other words, furthering the Illusion of the Witch. He could deny the Natsuhi theory but that would expose the game and destroy the witch illusion.

The usage of "Demon's script" is pretty interesting haha, still see yourself as the heroine of this story, Bern?

Battler starts putting down the foundations for Battler culprit theory.... Battler putting an insane theory first thing after reaching the truth must have gotten some people really confused. Battler immediately destroys everything Erika has been building up to in a single red.

Battler points out they eren't dead when he yelled, which is true, and then Ronove points out they only need to be dead by the end of the game for the red truths to be valid. Ronove, Gaap, Virgilia and even Dlanor for good measure group up to dunk on Erika.

The Golden Truth.

Jesus Christ.

Erika accepts her role as Detective before Witch.

[sodapaladin]

✨Top 10 Games of 2023✨

It’s time for my annual list. As usual, these are games I played this year, not that came out this year. So despite all the hits this year, don’t expect to see many of them!

10. Fire Emblem Engage

While I was wary of the new character designs and anniversary excuse-story, Engage turned out to be more enjoyable than I expected. Not my favorite Fire Emblem, but a good one nevertheless.

9. Paradise Killer

What *style*! I went and bought this game immediately after my friend showed me the song “Paradise (Stay Forever).” Going in blind was wild. I sure didn’t expect the protagonist to be part of an extra-dimensional cult. I love exploring the vaporwave island.

8. WarioWare: Move It!

A worthy successor to Smooth Moves. While the amount of extra context seems oddly lacking for a WarioWare game, I love all the creative uses for the joycons. With the major exception of Jimmy’s boss minigame, everything works shockingly well.

7. Super Mario RPG

I debated where to place this. On one hand, I don’t feel like the remake added too much. The QoL improvements are nice, but the SNES original is still perfectly playable. It’s also quite short for an RPG, and on the easy side. But it’s just so charming anyway.

6. Darkstalkers 3

AKA Vampire Savior, not to be confused with another game. On the quest to capture the magic Third Strike had for me, this comes pretty close. If only I could find online matches now.

5. Suika Game

I had to see what the hype’s about, and I understood. So simple and cute, yet challenging. A great way to kill a few minutes.

4. Advance Wars 1+2 Reboot Camp

I held off on this for a while, since I have both original games, and it didn’t seem like much was changed. The QoL improvements have been nice, though, such as speeding up the CPU’s turns. Most importantly, it no longer cheats during Fog of War, so you can actually strategize as intended instead of cheesing certain maps.

3. It Takes Two

Playing this co-op game with my brother was a blast. Solving puzzles through teamwork is a satisfying joy, and I’d love to play again as the other character sometime.

2. Vampire Survivors

So addicting. It was hilarious to find out the dev works on slot machines. Now it’s quite clear that they know all the right bells and whistles to set that dopamine off.

1. Monster Girls and the Mysterious Adventure 2

It’s incredible when you can feel the amount of love poured into the development of a game. I picked up this solo-dev passion project thinking it’d be a cute little indie game. I didn’t expect it to be my favorite mystery dungeon experience.

Everything from the writing and QoL features show how clearly the dev loves this genre and wants to make the best version of it. The balance is wonky, some of the recruitment requirements are questionably difficult, and the English translation is extremely rough, but I can’t help but be charmed by the whole package anyway. I’ve put in around 50 hours getting to the “final” boss of the story, and there’s still a massive postgame dungeon. I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone, but for fans of mystery dungeon games, absolutely.

[temporalreverie]

ponysona ref sheet :3

[text transcript: Carrie Go-Round, or Carrie for short It/She, Trans Mare, Lesbian Can prance through air with its saddle on. Gives carousel sky-rides to help others. It likes going around again, solving puzzles, helping with problems, music, good fortune, and going around again. Beholden to the whims of its fate & cycles, it tries its best to be carefree but secretly feels aimless at times.]

Extended character bio & art process thoughts below the cut v

Carrie Go-Round is a unicorn with carousel themed magic. Carousel magic works in mysterious ways. It can direct the magic somewhat and hone certain patterns through repetition, but it’s ultimately at the whims of the fate chosen for it. Usually everything works out just fine though.

While actively using its carousel magic and wearing its saddle, it can prance on top of air. It takes others on rides through the sky using this, giving them time and space to think through a problem they’ve been having. These rides can involve a conversation, a magical spectacle of lights and music, or simply peace and quiet, whatever will help the other pony best. Flying, putting on light shows, and making music are all come naturally when the magic is in service of another.

Carrie has adapted an outwardly carefree and playful nature. It’s partially its true self, and partially a defense mechanism in response to the lack of control that the carousel makes it feel. When you’re stuck going around in one big circle, it’s easy to feel aimless and confused. Helping someone else with a problem of theirs always makes it feel better though. It's also fond of rhymes, puzzles, and riddles.

It’s somewhat taller than average. Not very strong, but when its magic is active any passengers feel light as a feather. Both the color and shape of its hair is all natural.

—

Art process thoughts:

An idea for a ponysona design popped into my head the other day and I'm really happy with how it turned out! Multiple times I've played with designing a ponysona by taking more grounded and literal elements of myself but none of those struck me as exciting or fun. Being freely indulgent and overdesigning a pastel magic horse is way better.

In terms of the drawing itself, this is probably the closest you'll ever see me mimic the G4 artstyle! I referenced a couple screenshots of pinkie to get an idea for scale, and then I cut apart my rough sketch into chunks so I could stretch out the neck & back because I like when the bodies are longer than proportions on the show. This also doubles as making its tallness present in the art but really I would've done that regardless.

The carousel concept is a fun way to tie in the colorful aesthetics with themes of cycles and fate. Girls love to be stuck in a loop of mayyyybe their own choosing. And it also means I get to bring back the saddle & bridle fashion concept Lauren Faust considered for the show's pitch bible. It's definitely kind of weird but in a fun way.

Carrie Go-Round like Merry-go-round but also like Carrie short for Carousel but also like Carry because she physically carries other ponies & helps lift them emotionally. Do you get it.

This is my first time adding ALT text to my images; I did my best to be thorough but not too verbose.

Miscellaneous design thoughts: I love pink and green together! IRL horse coat patterns are so so cute I wish more MLP characters had them. Plus the bubbly shapes on the hooves match her cloud prancing. Duality is everything to me: two different shapes and colors of hair, two symbols on its cutie mark, two little eyelashes. Although I tried less to make it look like me, its hair still has the same general shape (however mine will only rarely form curls like that all on its own). Also the cutie mark arrows being green is a slightly inspired by a real dream I had about getting my cutie mark:

I've been meaning to make a ponysona for a long time now. All in all this was very fun to do and now I'm excited to draw more of my own OCs and their interactions.

[gryptids]

end of the year asks!!!! 2, 9, 18, and 25 :]

2. Album of the year? Interpreting this two different ways! My fav album that came out this year is jazz is for ordinary people by berlioz (technically an EP but IDC), and my fav album that I listened to this year is Dummy by Portishead :]

9. Best month for you this year? I think November! I got in touch more with myself, grew my self confidence, and started taking writing classes that really sparked my creativity. I worked on a variety of creative projects that were really self-indulgent and fulfilling, and also had a lot of fun socializing with friends and family. It felt very balanced!

18. A memorable meal this year? I perfected my steak cooking technique this year!! Now I know how to make really delicious and simple steaks at home, and YOU CAN TOO!!

Gryptid's Foolproof And Depression-Friendly Steak Recipe: 1. Take your steak out of the fridge and get it to room temperature. This is important for the cooking step so you don't overcook the outside bits trying to get it to heat up. You want it to be room-room temperature before you start the next step. 2. Heat your pan up and throw a generous pat of butter in there. Do NOT skimp with the quality of the butter. I prefer Kerrygold, but any fancy butter will do. In the meantime, pat your steak dry and season all sides with salt & pepper. (You could get fancier with this if you wanted, but often salt & pepper are all you need.) 3. Throw your steak in the pan and spoon the butter over it as it cooks. I prefer my steak rare and usually cook it ~2 minutes on each side, depending on how big it is. You can touch the center of the steak and judge its done-ness by how springy/tender it is. 4. Once your steak is to your preferred done-ness, take it off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. This is a great time to make some instant mashed potatoes if you have the energy/desire. 5. Enjoy your incredibly delicious, super easy steak! Save any extra butter by storing it in a heat-safe vessel in the fridge - it's super yummy, and I often use it for buttered bread, pasta, and more! BONUS: If you have leftover steak, don't reheat it in the microwave! Instead, preheat your oven to around 250 degrees and throw your leftovers in a foil-covered oven-safe vessel for 20-30 minutes, checking periodically to make sure it doesn't overcook :) They make delicious additions to scrambled eggs, burritos, and your favorite rice dish.

25. Did you create any characters (in games, art, or writing) this year? Describe one. Off the top of my head, my fav from *this year* (cuz most of my blorbos were created in years past) is the noir baddie Juliet I made for a City of Mist game. She killed a creepy director when he tried to steal her magical voice to open up the heavens and then acquired like. Four different boyfriends/girlfriends while trying to solve a mystery. She's incredibly dramatic and flirtatious but also WILL shoot you to death with her magical gun made from pure sound. My silly rabbit <3

Thank u for askin' !!!!! I feel like this year was tough in a lot of ways, but rewarding, too. On to the next!

[g0atmama]

No Easy Answer

Isaac solves the mystery of the crystals popping up around the Badlands. But in doing so, only has more questions

Free Hearth AU, set while Hestia is still living in the Badlands

The crystals kept growing. Not in size, but in number. Yesterday there were five. Now there were seven more, arranged in a half circle. Jagged, spiked crystals that grew up out of the ground. They curved around each other, locking in ways unbelievable for a mineral to grow.

All Isaac could do was guard. He wasn't magic. He didn't have an ounce of it in his veins. All he could do was stand there watching for monsters while Jadu inspected the new growth.

"These appeared overnight." The mage repeated what they already knew. 

Isaac looked over his shoulder. Looked at the splatters on the crystal. Deep purple crystals, with red and blue and green splattered on them. Some black, smeared like soot.

"Looks like a bunch of monsters died here. Trapped by the crystals and killed by something powerful. Something big."

"Yeah."

The two men kept their inspection. Until a roar in the distance signaled the rising of Apophis. Departing to the Outpost, making quick notes of what they found.

Another roar. Different. A different creature, and the sound of… what was that? It sounded like glass cracking. Jadu's attention turned towards the sound. Southwest, towards the wasteland of old bones.

A dragon. Smaller than Apophis, barely visible on the horizon. But there. He cast a spell- pushing his senses further. Letting him see clearer. The dragon blew fire at the shadow serpent's tail. Crystal formed around it, connecting to the ground.

This dragon was the source of the crystals.

He was about to call Isaac, excited to point it out, when the roar changed. Pain, he didn't need to know dragons to know a cry of pain.

Apophis had bitten it.

His mouth was massive around the poor dragon. It blasted something from its body, that sent shards of crystal through Apophis' jaw and skull. It crashed in the distance.

They had to help. This dragon had been fighting Apophis, there was no way it was dangerous. Well, it still could have been, but they had to help. Jadu moved back down the tower, grabbing a handful of potions and herbs. Things to help with magic.

Isaac stayed in the Outpost- Alesia wanted to get a look at the dragon. Someone had to stay. The two departed, searching through the Badlands for the beast. It shouldn’t have been so hard to find. A dragon that size, sure it wasn’t too big, but it was dark. And it probably had crystals glowing around it. So why couldn’t they find it?

At the Outpost, Isaac was greeted to a horrific sight. Watching from the top of the tower, he saw an adventurer stumbling closer. One he knew. One he cared about. The odd girl with purple hair- Hestia. She was cradling herself, covering only one of a dozen wounds across her torso. Her cloak was stained with blood and- were those crystals around the end of it? He shook off the thought.

He all but ran down the stairs to get the door open. To pull her inside the outpost and help her. Clothes ruined. They barely even covered her anymore, torn to shreds by… By a bite. But…? No. No, that was impossible. She could hardly stand. He sat her on a table.

Isaac had no magic. Not a drop of it in his blood. All he could do was treat and dress the wounds. They’d have to wait for Jadu to get back. Maybe Camilla. Maybe Lance. But these wounds were everywhere. Crossing her body, across her torso. One was terrifyingly close to her heart. But her bones were intact.

“I don’t… How?!” he asked what he meant to think aloud. The girl laughed painfully.

“There’s no easy answer for that.”

Isaac didn’t even try to hide the annoyed question from his expression. How? It should be easy, a spell, or a potion or-

“You’ve seen my crystals. Jadu saw me fighting.”

She’s the dragon. The dragon Jadu just ran out to help. The dragon that’s been leaving the massive crystals, the dragon that’s been corralling and destroying monsters left and right- at a pace even Camilla couldn’t keep up with. Constant battle, constant protection…

“But… why?”